Werewolf Child version 2
by GoddessofMadness
Summary: Edited version of my story Werewolf Child. Remus Lupin had always wanted a child but could not risk it because of the laws banning werewolf breeding. With the help of his friends, he manages to hide his pregnancy and raise his son himself. But what did Moony mean about his child being important to both wizards and werewolves? AU, Slash, Mpreg. 1st of the series.
1. Prologue: Internal Conflict

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any known characters from the HP universe. Those copyrights are credited to the wonderful J.K. Rowling.

Warnings: Slash, Mpreg, adult language, extremely AU.

A/N: This is the completely edited version of my story Werewolf Child. This is taking a completely different spin on it and as of right now, I like it better than the original. Reviews are very much appreciated.

Prologue: Internal Conflict

"This just can't be bloody happening." Nineteen-year-old Remus Lupin was pacing frantically around his flat in Diagon Alley. He glanced once more at the glowing tip of his wand, which was still clenched tightly in his fist. The tip was glowing blue. Positive result.

"Fuck!" He roared, tossing the piece of wood away from him as though it were on fire. Pacing toward the coffee table, he reached a hand out and grabbed the pack of cigarettes that were laying open, along with the Muggle lighter that was beside the pack. He had just placed the cigarette between his lips and was about to light it when a sudden, and most likely purposeful, tightening of his abdominal muscles made him stop. "Right. Can't smoke anymore. Damn you to hell, Sirius Black, for getting me addicted to cigarettes." Frustrated, and beyond itching for a cigarette, Remus walked to the kitchen and tossed the new pack of cigarettes and lighter into the garbage can.

He had always been careful; he knew the heightened pregnancy risks due to his condition. They were always careful, always used protection. The one bloody time they forgot. Or maybe it happened the third time they had gone at it that same evening? He had been insatiable…stupid bloody heat cycle…

"Well," Remus sighed. "Might as well toss the rest of the packs while I'm at it…"

 _Don't forget to pour the alcohol down the drain_ , a deep voice boomed in the back of his mind. Remus felt his lip curl in a grimace at the mere sound.

"Fine," he snapped aloud. As Remus rummaged around his flat, searching for packs of cigarettes and half smoked cigarettes to toss, he thought he could hear Moony humming in the back of his mind.

"I shouldn't have this baby," Remus spoke aloud again, arms full of packs and ash trays to be tossed away. "There are laws against werewolf breeding. I could be thrown in Azkaban and my child murdered." He dropped his load into the garbage, almost as if to punctuate his previous statement. He moved onto his liquor cabinet and took out most of the alcohol, except for his finest vintages that had been gifts; he could enjoy those after his pregnancy was over. He had the bottles hover behind him as he made his way to the kitchen sink and had them pour themselves down the drain.

Moony snarled, causing the sound to echo around Remus' mind. Remus hated himself for it, but he flinched at the harsh noise. One of his hands went straight to his abdomen, as if to protect the unborn child from his inner wolf, without him even realizing it.

Moony, on the other hand, did notice the protective gesture. _You already are protective of the cub. It will only strengthen as your pregnancy progresses._

Remus slid to the floor and leaned against the wall near the garbage can. "I can't have this baby," he whispered in a defeated voice, staring down at his flat abdomen with a remorseful look in his eyes.

 _You must. This cub is important;_ Moony's words were both gentle and urgent.

"You're only saying that because it's your cu—child."

 _You are wrong. I do not know how, but he will play a key role in ending the strife between wizards and our kind. I know only what my instincts say. He must live._

"He?" _A son?_ Remus thought to himself, a happy and proud smile on his face. He could almost see him; large blue eyes and dark hair like his fath—

Remus stopped that train of thought immediately. It would not bode well for him to get hung up on this fantasy, only to have his heart ripped out when he came back to reality. "There would be no way to hide my pregnancy, or to explain how I suddenly have a child with me at all times when I'm not known by many people to be seeing anyone."

 _Your friends can know of your pregnancy. They can assist you with the casting of glamor charms to hide your pregnancy._ Remus almost felt the shrug that ended Moony's sentence.

"And how do I explain why a child is now constantly by my side? One who looks like me?" Remus tried to stop the squeezing of his heart as he began to hope against his will. He had always wanted a family…but never wanted to risk being sent to prison and have his child ripped from him. He had remained single for most of his time at Hogwarts, until his seventh year.

 _For Merlin's sake,_ Moony growled and huffed in annoyance. _Are you not a wizard? Use glamor charms on the cub. Hide his identity when in public._

"Glamor charms to change an identity in such a way require two people other than me to cast the charms. Otherwise, the child would still look like me, making it obvious to officers in the Magical Creatures office that I was involved with the creation of the child." Remus' butt had fallen asleep by this point in the conversation so he stood from the hard floor and resumed his pacing. He walked by the window and stared out at the busy street. It was a few weeks into November; people were busy starting on their Christmas shopping. He could see young children, not old enough to go to Hogwarts yet, running around and laughing as they chased each other. The sight caused a smile to creep onto his face as he absently placed a hand on his stomach and began to gently rub.

 _That solution is a little too obvious. Prongs and his mate, Lily. Would they not be willing to assist us? We could make the public believe our cub is their fawn. It would not be surprising for their child to be seen with you or for you to 'babysit' him._ Moony sounded smug, as though he knew he had won. Yes, this cub would live and his pack would continue to grow. Remus would finally have the unconditional love he desired. Moony knew it was important that this child live. Luckily his human half was easily persuaded.

This plan…it could work! Lily would be willing to use glamor charms to fake a pregnancy, if it meant that Remus would remain safe. Lily had such a maternal complex when it came to him and would do anything to help. James would help him, as well, even if for no other reason than to appease Lily. His other friends—Sirius and Peter—they would help him where they could, he was sure of it. They would help him keep his cub safe. That way he and S— "Wait…the cub's father…my mate…he and I—"

 _Cub before all else. Cub before mate. Cub before self._ Moony's words caused Remus' blood to run cold and his heart clench painfully.

"But…he deserves to…he deserves to know about his child. We've been together for two years. I love—"

 _Cub before all else_ , Moony's voice cut him off, repeating the words of pack law again. _Cub before mate. Cub before self. I am sorry, Remus. But he may not know at this time. It could jeopardize our and our cub's safety._ Remus was surprised to hear Moony's voice sound thick with tears; he was just as heartbroken as he was.

 _I am sorry,_ Moony repeated. _But, for now, this is how it must be. For the cub._

"Yes," Remus choked out as tears started to well in his light blue eyes. His hands came up to rest on his still flat abdomen and he wrapped his arms around his middle. "For the cub…" It was then that Remus began to cry—both from joy and sorrow.


	2. Chapter 1: Forming the Plan

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any known characters from the HP universe. Those copyrights are credited to the wonderful J.K. Rowling.

Warnings: Slash, Mpreg, adult language, extremely AU.

A/N: This is the completely edited version of my story Werewolf Child. This is taking a completely different spin on it and as of right now, I like it better than the original. Reviews are very much appreciated.

Chapter One: Forming the Plan and a Difficult Conversation

December came swiftly, carrying a frigid blanket of ice and snow with it. Remus loved the winter; when he was still a student at Hogwarts, he would spend hours sitting by the fireside with a book and just stare out the window at the gently falling snow. Or he would literally drag James, Sirius, Peter, or Lily outside for snowball fights, ice skating, and snowmen building competitions.

It was not only the beauty of winter that he enjoyed, but the romance of it, as well. Winter was such a happy season, what with the plethora of holidays that adorned it. Everyone was always so joyful and filled with wonder. _That_ was what Remus loved seeing; everyone as joyful about the season as he was. Well, as he _usually_ was, anyway.

This winter did not find Remus happily humming as he decorated his flat in Diagon Alley for the holidays. There was no smell of double chocolate chip cookies baking, and barely any gifts stacked up in the corner, waiting to be wrapped frantically the night before they would be opened.

What the winter found instead, as it coated the world in white, was Remus tensely watching the snowfall from his chair near the window. A forgotten book was tossed haphazardly over the arm, a long-gone-cold cup of tea in one hand, and his other hand caressing his scarcely protruding abdomen. He was going over the plan in his head again, trying to find any flaws or reasons that it would fail. His chest tightened every time he thought about the plan falling through and he would be sent to prison, but not before he was forced to watch his cub's life cease before it even got to begin.

The plan was his main reason for this newfound anxiety. Mainly because he had been agonizing over it on his own. Yes, Remus was a little more than two months pregnant, already starting to show—even if only he was the one who would be able to notice—and he had not informed his friends yet. Meaning, Remus was quickly running out of time to formulate this plan. In all honesty, he probably would have sequestered himself into hiding—gone to the Muggle world and lived as a hermit until his child was born and chosen to live as if he were a Muggle. For, despite being a Gryffindor, Remus usually wasn't that brave when it came to self-preservation…or when it came to the possibility of disappointing his friends.

He would have followed through with his cowardly escape plan…had it not been for Moony's sudden take-over. Because of Remus' condition, Moony had somehow managed to prevent the change during the previous full moon and told Remus that he would continue to do so until the cub was born, which meant Remus had nine blissful months of no transformations. However, this exchange came with an unexpected side-effect; Moony was able to manifest himself and take control of Remus' body, while Remus was fully aware of was going on.

During this episode of body snatching, Moony had used Remus to floo call James, Sirius, and Peter—though he had been unable to get ahold of Peter for whatever reason. During these two calls, he invited James, Lily, and Sirius to come over to Remus' flat later that day at three in the afternoon. Unfortunately—or fortunately, Remus wasn't entirely sure yet—all of them had agreed, completely fooled by Moony's impersonation of Remus.

Remus was snapped out of his reverie by a knock on the door. He had to instate a new rule about flooing directly into his apartment after James and Sirius had flooed in one day and had caught Remus and…well, let's just say it involved chocolate sauce and no food. After that embarrassing incident, Remus made sure that his friends knew the floo address to the building in which his flat was located and they could walk up to his flat from there.

"Just a moment," Remus called as he stood slowly from the chair and placed a bookmark in the book. He set the book gently on the windowsill beside his chair. After some contemplation, he turned the book over so that the cover was face down; the last thing he needed was Lily spotting the baby-name book before he could tell them the news himself. Finally, he made his way to the door, straightening his jumper as he did so, hoping it would cover his stomach. Granted, he was sure that they wouldn't be able to notice the pregnancy, if anything it just looked like he put on a bit of weight, nothing more.

Taking one last deep breath to steady his nerves, Remus opened the door to find his friends standing there with huge smiles plastered onto their faces. "Moony!" Sirius launched himself at him and gave him a huge hug. "It feels like we haven't seen you in years, mate!" Remus noticed that the hug lasted far longer than a friendly hug should have. It was true that Sirius had a crush on him, but unfortunately Remus never returned the feelings. He saw Sirius as more of a brother, a pack member, than a potential mate or partner.

"Let the man breathe, Sirius," James laughed, removing his scarf and clapping Remus on the shoulder as he entered the flat. He swaggered to the sofa and flopped down, acting as if he owned the place. It didn't bother Remus though; he was far used to James' confidence by now.

Sirius released him from the hug, however he kept his arm wrapped around his waist and dragged him to the sofa, plopping Remus down in between himself and James. Which left the Remus' seat by the window the only seat left for Lily; Remus felt his heart plummet into his stomach and he almost lost his nerve right there, had it not been for Moony's insistent growl in the back of his mind. _Stop being a coward,_ Moony warned. _This isn't about you anymore; use that Gryffindor bravery to protect your cub._

"Remus, you look far too thin," Lily tutted as she hung her coat and scarf on the coat rack near the door. She came over to where he was seated and made him stand up so she could get a better look at him. Her face scrunched up. "You need to eat more. I feel like if you turned to the side we wouldn't be able to see you!" Remus couldn't believe it; Lily's hawk-eyes totally missed it. He hadn't lost weight; he had gained several pounds over the past two or so months.

"I'll try to remember to eat more often," he promised the redhead as he leaned down to kiss her cheek. She smiled at him, emerald eyes shining before she pushed passed him and sat down in between James and Sirius instead. She cuddled up to James and smiled. Remus however could only stare at her in surprise.

"What? I know better than to sit in your chair." She laughed. Remus quickly sat down in his seat, relieved by Lily's consideration.

"So, what have you all been up to?" Remus asked them with what felt like a very forced, fragile smile on his face. Yes, he was stalling. And it was true that he was barely listening to anything his friends were saying to him. He caught bits and pieces; Lily and James' honeymoon to Paris, Sirius finishing his Auror training, the results of a Quidditch game that James was frustrated about. He felt rude, he truly did. But in all honesty, he needed to figure out what he was going to say to them. To make sure that they wouldn't hate him, or think him a freak, or would turn him into the Ministry, or—

"REMUS!" He jumped, hand flailing and knocking the book off of the windowsill. He blinked at the three across from him. It had been James who had yelled at him. "Merlin's beard, mate. We've only been saying your name for the past two or so minutes."

"I-I'm sorry. My mind must've been somewhere else." He took a deep breath and smiled at them. "What were you saying?"

"We were asking what you've been up to," Sirius stated, standing and going over to Remus' liquor cabinet. He opened it up and stared in shock. "What the hell?! Where's all of your booze? You always keep stocked!"

"I…ah…I got rid of most of it." He scratched the back of his neck nervously. Glancing up, he saw a pair of green eyes staring straight at him; Remus gulped.

"Why?!" Sirius' voice sounded strangled. "You drink all of us under the table!"

"I quit drinking…and smoking…" Remus couldn't look anywhere other than at his hands, which were sitting in his lap, shaking.

"You what?" It was James' turn to sound surprised. "I mean, good for you and all, but again, why? I thought you said that smoking and drinking were helping you cope with the week of transformation."

Remus' gaze was obstructed by the book that he had knocked off of the windowsill. It had landed in the middle of the floor and Lily must've picked it up during James and Sirius' outburst. "It's because he's pregnant, right Remus?" Lily's voice was soft and kind; not at all filled with hatred or disgust.

The entire flat was filled with a deafening silence. No one dared to move; it was as if Lily's words had caused everyone to become petrified. Unable to take the silence any longer, Remus finally choked out "Y-Yes…I am pregnant…and I intend on keeping my child…" Remus wrapped his arms protectively around his stomach and stared at each of his friends in turn.

"Remus…" Sirius spoke hesitantly when the lycan's blue eyes landed on him. "What you're saying…if you're caught…mate, that's life in Azkaban. I should take you into custody right now just for your confession…"

Remus opened his mouth to speak up, but his view was obstructed when James stepped in front of him, wand pointed at Sirius' chest. "Take two steps near him and I'm hexing your balls off, Padfoot."

Chest tight, Remus stood from his seat and walked so he was standing directly behind James. He stared at Sirius for a long time, teeth gnawing at the inside of his cheek as he was prone to doing when nervous. _Was telling Sirius, an Auror, a mistake?_ Remus thought worriedly.

 _If he causes a threat_ , Moony's voice was slightly on edge. _We could always_ Obliviate _him._

 _Yes, well,_ Remus replied to the wolf. _Let's hope it doesn't come to that._ A non-committal grunt was his only response.

"Prongs, will you take it easy!" Remus was brought back to the conversation at hand by Sirius yelling. "I said I _should_ take him in! Not that I _would_! Now would you kindly stop pointing your wand at my crotch?"

Then, as if a flip had been switched, James went from protective and serious back to his usual carefree attitude. The change was so instantaneous that Remus found himself gaping at James like a fish out of water. Lily, on the other hand, seemed completely unfazed by James' behavior. To make things even more jarring, James lit up into a dazzling smile. "Just making sure, Padfoot," and sure enough, James slid his wand back into his sleeve holster. "Marauders stick together, right?" He walked over and appeared to casually punch Sirius on the shoulder. Then again, judging by the grimace that crossed over Sirius' face and how he rubbed at his shoulder afterwards, led Remus to believe that the punch been a lot harder than it normally would have been.

Eventually, the initial shock settled down and the four gathered found themselves seated once more in their previous spots. "So," Lily said, leaning forward, elbows propped up on her crossed knees and green eyes glinting in determination. "How do we help?"

"Uh…" was Remus' eloquent response, "what do you mean?"

"Come off it," Sirius let out a bark of laughter before pulling a pack of Muggle cigarettes out of his pocket, along with some matches, and lighting up. Remus shifted around and scratched at his forearms; booze was easy to quit, he didn't drink that often, but damn was he itching for a smoke. Sirius blew a perfect smoke ring. "We aren't letting you do this on your own."

James grunted and another serious look came across the Quidditch star's face. "Mate, you _can't_ do this on your own. You'll find yourself in an Azkaban cell faster than you could blink."

A lump formed in Remus' throat; both from the harsh reality of the werewolf breeding laws, and from the joy he felt at having such loyal friends. He blinked rapidly, to keep the tears at bay and turned his attention back to Lily. He reached out and grasped her hands firmly, looking her square in the eye. What he was about to request would be painful for her and James, but he had to.

"Lily…" He stared into her brave, emerald eyes and took a deep breath. "I know…I know that because of a potion's mishap in our seventh year…you can't…" Her grip on his hands tightened as she pieced together what he was about to ask; her eyes became glossy, but never lost their bravery or determination. "I know you can't have children…and I know it hurts you and James." Out of the corner of his eye, he saw James shift so that his arm was wrapped around Lily's waist and his other hand rested on her thigh. "But my plan is to have people believe my child…is yours. Not many people know of the potion's mishap; only Dumbledore and Madame Pomfrey, who I'm sure would be willing to assist us with this plan."

Remus turned his attention to James. "I need both of you to help me with this plan. And if you can't because of personal reasons, I understand and I will find a way to keep my child." He released Lily's hands and clenched them into fists on his own lap. "This plan will require the use of many glamor charms. One that would conceal my own pregnancy, one that would make Lily look pregnant, and a very old and powerful one that would result in my child looking like yours…only to people who don't know the truth anyway. Would you two…be willing to do this…to deceive the entire wizarding community like this?"

There was a long silence. During which, James and Lily had turned their attention away from Remus and were looking at one another. It was almost as if they were communicating without speaking. Remus knew what that was like; to have such a deep, emotional bond with someone that you almost knew what the other person was thinking. Lily and James had always had this link, even if they never would admit it in the past. It took Remus and his mate a while to communicate in such a way, but now that Remus knew what it was like to know someone so deeply…he was going to miss it.

Sirius had kept silent during Remus' entire request. Even now, Remus found it odd that the man had not chimed in yet. Truthfully, the man simply looked contemplative, staring off into space, gray-blue eyes occasionally darting back and forth between Remus and James and Lily. At one point, Sirius caught his eye and the man winked and smiled briefly before returning to his thoughts.

The silence was eventually broken by James clearing his throat. All attention went back to the couple on the sofa. "We've thought about it and…"

"We're in." Lily finished for her husband. A wave of relief and joy suddenly flooded Remus and he was overcome with tears. All of his friends rushed to him and hugged him tightly.

"My only request…" Lily's voice was soft and kind in his ear. "Is I want to have the full pregnancy experience. I know there's a charm that will allow me to feel everything you feel, even if it's at a lesser extent. Please. This might be my only chance to know what it's like to carry a child."

Remus, eyes still swimming with tears and tear tracks on his face, cupped Lily's check with his hand. "For you," he choked, "for what you're doing for me…that is the _least_ I can do."

Once everyone had calmed down, Remus began to fill them in on the finer details of the plan. Sirius' role was much less vital to the plan than James and Lily's, however it was a vital role nonetheless; Sirius would act as Remus' bodyguard, especially while out and about in public. Since the two were close, it wouldn't be seen as unusual. Sirius was mainly supposed to act excited and spread the news about Lily's pregnancy to as many people as possible.

As soon as all of the details were finalized, the four went to Hogwarts to talk with both Dumbledore and Madame Pomfrey. After several hours of explaining, some mild scolding, and a long check-up, the two agreed to assist Remus with his plan; on the condition that he went to see Poppy regularly for pre-natal checkups. She was able to confirm that he was not carrying multiples, which was a rarity among werewolves to only conceive one child at a time. Though Remus was sure of this fact, it was nice to have it confirmed.

A single charm was to be cast that evening; it was a spell that was once considered to be dark magic, as it would transfer the appearance of pregnancy from a pregnant individual to another, non-pregnant individual. It was once believed that the spell also transplanted the baby, as well, thus labeling it as dark. However, modern studies disproved this, though it is still not a commonly used charm. This particular charm was ideal for this situation, as it did not have to constantly be re-cast in order for the effects to continue; the charm ended once the pregnant individual gave birth.

Throughout the day, as the plan slowly began to take shape, Remus felt hope bubbling up in his chest. He also felt a tightening in his heart as he knew what still had to be done, but for now, he stood in Dumbledore's office, with Lily beside him, hands on his abdomen, waiting for the spell to be cast.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~WWC2.0~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

It was very late at night when Remus finally managed to floo home. He was magically and emotionally drained and simply flopped onto the couch on his side, not bothering to even muster up the energy to go to his bedroom. He had thought that once the plan was set into motion, he would be able to relax. However, this was not the case as he felt more tightly wound up than before. Grunting, he flopped over onto his back and tossed one arm over his eyes to block out the glow of the half-moon shining through the window, his other arm was draped over his stomach.

He had almost started to drift off when he heard the sound of a door opening. He sat up and rubbed at his eyes, blearily staring toward the front door of his flat, and becoming exceedingly confused when the door remained firmly shut. Even in his exhausted state, Remus was an accomplished duelist and sprang off of the couch, drawing his wand as he did so. He turned so that he was facing deeper into the apartment. He was unsure how to feel as his eyes finally focused on the intruder. For, standing in the corridor, arms crossed across his chest and a scowl on his face, was his boyfriend Severus Snape.

Sheepish, Remus re-holstered his wand up his sleeve and flopped back down on the couch, turning so his face was buried in the cushions against the back of the couch. He wasn't ready for this conversation. He had hoped it wouldn't take place so soon after an already exhausting day; he had wanted at least a week longer of pretending they had a future together—a family together—before it had to come crashing down. He should have known better; Severus hadn't heard from him all day, so of course he came to his flat waiting for him to arrive home. And of course Severus was going to be livid that he came home so late without a word from him.

"Where," the word was silent, but to Remus it sounded as if Severus had shouted it into his ear. "In the bloody hell have you been?"

"Out," the word was muffled by the fabric and stuffing of the couch, but Remus knew that Severus would be able to pick up the terseness of his tone. Yes, it'd be best if Remus broke it off while fighting…at least then he could say it was because of the fight and risk coming up with a poorly thought up lie that he'd forget.

Remus could almost see Severus cocking an eyebrow at his response. "Out," the dark, smooth voice repeated. The sound of the floorboards creaking indicated that Severus was walking toward the couch. "I thank you for that brilliant description of where you've been all day. Black must be rubbing off on you; you have never been so incredibly vivid and alive with your words. How marvelous." A hand tightened around one of his wrists and forced him away from the couch and into a sitting position.

Remus gasped as he was moved, not because it was painful, but because it was sudden. He had to look away as Severus forced him to make eye contact. "I will ask you again. Where have you been?"

"Why the fuck do you care? What business of yours is it what I do with my day?" Remus had never been good at sounding fierce or mean. As James had described it, he was like a kitten with no claws attacking a ball of yarn. So instead of sounding angry, Remus came across as hesitant.

Severus looked shocked for a moment, before he released Remus' wrist and tapped his chin with a finger. "Why would I care?" He repeated sarcastically. "Oh, I don't know, Remus. Maybe because you and I have been together for two years? As for why it's my business…maybe because you and I have _been together for two years_." He stood and paced in front of the couch, obviously frustrated. "For fuck's sake, I don't expect a play-by-play of everything you do in a day. But to know that you'll be gone from your flat until three in the morning would be a nice detail to have." Severus stopped pacing and turned his flashing dark eyes to Remus' face. Remus knew Severus well enough to know the man was on the verge of tears, and it broke Remus' heart to see him like this.

 _Remain strong_ , Moony murmured in the back of his mind. _Cub before all else. Cub before mate. Cub before self. You know this has to be done._

Severus' arms wrapped around him and he buried his face into his neck. "I thought…I thought you were taken…by Greyback…or some other Death Eaters. I was so scared. I can't lose you."

Remus almost lost his resolve in that moment. Especially when he felt soft kisses being pressed against his neck and shoulder. He shuddered and wrapped his arms around his love, arching his neck to give Severus better access. They could do this; be a family. He should tell Severus right now that he was going to be a father. Severus would protect him, their cub. It could— _Remus!_ The yell jolted him, causing him to violently push Severus away.

 _You have to end it!_ Moony was sobbing, he didn't want to leave Severus either, but it was his instinct driving him to break things off with his mate. It had to be done, for the safety of Remus and their cub.

"I can't…I can't do it!" Remus yelled out loud, standing from the couch angrily, hands pulling at his hair in frustration.

"Can't do what, Remus?" Severus came up behind him and rested his hands on his waist. He began to run his hands up and down Remus' sides lightly, something that usually relaxed the blond man.

 _Enough of this stalling! If you won't end it, I will!_ Before Remus could even comprehend what Moony had said, he was forcefully shoved to the back of his mind as Moony took control.

Moony stepped away from Severus' hands, turning slowly to face the dark man. Remus noticed that Severus' jaw was covered in stubble and he was wearing his boxers and a T-shirt. He had stayed the night out of worry for him. In their mind, Remus screamed out, desperate to try and change Moony's mind, even though he knew it was pointless.

"Severus…" Moony's voice was thick with tears, and his vision was beginning to blur. Werewolves mated for life; Moony had chosen Severus as his mate since the beginning. He had told Remus to mark Severus with a Mating Mark the first time the two made love. "Today I was with Padfoot, Prongs, and Lily."

"That's all?" Severus laughed. "Merlin, love, that isn't anything new. If you had just started with that we could've avoided this whole argument." He reached for Moony's hand and started to pull him to Remus' bedroom. "C'mon let's go to sleep."

"Severus, no!" _Moony, no!_ Moony ignored Remus and continued. For the cub, he told himself. "We went to a pub in Diagon Alley and had a few drinks. Prongs and Lily went home after a while. Padfoot and I stayed and had a few more rounds and we…he…I kissed him."

 _No!_ Remus screamed in their head, actually causing Moony to wince. Moony had exploited Severus' greatest fear; that Remus would leave him for someone else, would cheat on him. It took Severus a long time to grow to trust Remus enough to begin a relationship with him and now…now there was no chance at recovering. Severus had said that if either of them cheated the relationship was over, end of story.

"I was drunk and I don't know what came over me. I'm…I'm sorry." Moony knew this was hard for Remus, because it was hard for him too. His instinct was to protect his mate, not hurt him.

"You're…sorry?" Remus was wailing at the top of his lungs, desperate to regain control. Severus' voice was devoid of all emotion and his usually passionate eyes were dull and lifeless. "Sorry…is what you say when something can be fixed." Without looking at Remus or Moony, Severus waved his wand, summoned his clothing to him, turned on his heel, and slammed the door shut behind him.

It was as the final echo of the slam resounded through the apartment that Remus regained control. He could only muster a single step toward the door before crumpling to the floor and keening like a wounded animal. It wasn't until several hours later, completely and utterly emotionally drained that Remus Lupin fell unconscious.


End file.
